Victor/Victoria

Inspired by the 1933 German film Viktor und Viktoria, Blake Edwards' 1982 comedy revolves around a penniless singer named Victoria (Edwards' wife Julie Andrews) who, together with homosexual cabaret actor Toddy (Robert Preston), concoct an elaborate hoax: Victoria poses as Victor, a gay Polish count, and scores a hit on the cabaret circuit as a female impersonator. A wrench is thrown in the works, however, when she meets and falls for King (James Garner), a macho mobster. Sporting a strong supporting cast (Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras, and John Rhys-Davies), Victor/Victoria racked up Oscar nominations for Best Actress (Andrews), Supporting Actor (Preston), Supporting Actress (Warren), and Screenplay. Boasting a luminous, richly color-saturated DVD transfer, and a beautiful Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the disc also features an entertaining and insightful commentary track by Edwards and Andrews. Highly recommended. [Note: three other Blake Edwards comedies are also newly available on DVD at the same price--The Great Race, Skin Deep and S.O.B.] (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—June 28, 2016—Warner, 133 min., PG, Blu-ray: $21.99—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1982's Victor/Victoria sports a fine transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Extras include audio commentary by star Julie Andrews and director Blake Edwards, and trailers. Bottom line: this beloved Andrews film sparkles on Blu-ray.]